Due to the great number of letters responding to our cover story on the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley ["Dog Fight" by David Madison, Vol. 9, No. 27], we have run as many as we can in this expanded "Incoming" section.
—Ed.
David Madison's article about the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley was a fair portrayal of a complex and depressing situation. And it reminded me of how sick I am of self-righteous, baseless and unfair diatribes regularly aimed at this group and its director, Vicky Crosetti.
As someone who has worked closely with her and other staff members of the Humane Society, I would certainly not give Crosetti any congeniality award. Indeed, she may have done much on her own through a brash and outspoken nature to make things more difficult for herself. However, she has also overseen improvements to the organization and its Animal Shelter, and it is grossly unfair to judge someone by an endless stream of innuendo and hearsay of the type that seems to dominate much of the public outburst surrounding her and her leadership.
Is Crosetti sometimes tactless and rude? Yes. As an "outsider" and a woman in a position of authority, does she often rub people around here the wrong way? Absolutely. Has she, over the years, been disrespectful of her own underpaid and under appreciated employees? Sometimes. But however impertinent she can be, however much one may just plain not like her, there are probably few humans in Knoxville who care more about animals and have dedicated so much of their lives to improving their lot more than she.
Every few months you can count on reading a new story in this town in which someone whines about how they were turned down from adopting an animal from the Humane Society, or how some precious dog they spent money on and brought to the shelter (expecting it to immediately be adopted) was later euthanized. Well, people, the next time you are tempted to bitch and moan about that awful Humane Society, I challenge you to go and work there for a few weeks. Go on, see what it's like. I dare you to try and make the same hard decisions shelter employees are forced to make every day when all the cages are full and you know that another hundred or more animals will be coming through your doors within the next few hours. Where will you put them?
Or, better yet, here's an idea: how about, instead of dumping the problem off on someone else, you find the animal a loving home, yourself? Oh, what's the problem? Not that easy is it? There just aren't enough good homes for them all, are there?
You see, the fault of this situation does not lie at the feet of Vicky Crosetti or the Humane Society, but with the pet owners who abandon their animals or let them roam and breed repeatedly or who bring their pets to the shelter because they're moving or getting married or simply tired of them and now the once-loved creatures are just too much of an inconvenience in their lives. The real problem is with people who think of their animals as simply other disposable articles of furniture, instead of feeling companions and valuable members of their families.
I believe many people who offer criticisms of Crosetti and the Humane Society are motivated by a genuine love of animals and their frustration regarding the pet overpopulation problem and high percentage of cats and dogs which, unfortunately, must be euthanized because there are just too many. I can assure you this same frustration is felt even more strongly by shelter personnel (often to the detriment of their own mental health), whom, I promise, take no pleasure in the grim tasks that face them each and every day.
Critics such as Phil "Matt Drudge" Hamby, however, are another matter. Whatever the real motivation or hidden agenda behind his mean-spirited campaign, I suspect it has little to do with the plight of homeless animals or solving the tragedy of pet overpopulation. Has he ever come out for a mandatory spay and neuter law (which is the only true proven way of solving the problem)? No, this is a man who has decided that his "solution" is to run someone out of town with the shotgun of inflammatory rhetoric. This is a man who was attacking Crosetti and the Humane Society years before he spent thousands of dollars for the rights to the name of a respected and now-dead daily publication (The Knoxville Journal) in a pathetic attempt to lend some credibility to his since renamed People's Press. Indeed, one need only look at the normal scandal and rumor laden content of his so-called "newspaper" to get some idea as to this man's character and ethics.
But to the local groups who say they plan to open "no-kill" shelters, I wish them luck. Of course, it's easy to have such a policy if you don't take in very many animals. Needless to say, if they were to take in 16,000 dogs and cats every year as does the Humane Society, many of these animals would have to be euthanized, too, as these people well know. So they will no doubt be very selective and only take in the highly adoptable creatures, the cute and cuddly ones we all love to ooh and aah over. (Unfortunately, there are not enough homes for even these.) Meanwhile, back in the real world, all the other thousands of animals still exist, and there still aren't enough good, loving homes for them. What should we do with them Mr. Hamby? You'd rather not think about that, would you? Yes, it's easier to just criticize an individual and organization that, for some reason, you do not like and ignore the real problem.
There are, sadly, some fates in this world worse than death, and the heartbreaking fact is that the Humane Society does much of the dirty work of this community. Think of the last time you watched a someone toss trash out of his or her car window. "Someone will clean it up," you angrily imagined them thinking. Well, when it comes to the many homeless, abandoned and generally unwanted animals in this community, that someone is the Humane Society, and the good people that do its work. They are not the villains. And those who treat them as such only serve to make a difficult situation even worse for all involved.
Steve Jones
Knoxville
I read David Madison's story about the high "body count" of the Humane Society of Tennessee Valley with great interest. While some may have found his words to be shocking, he actually soft-pedaled the situation. We have the same problem here in Central Florida, where just as many animals are euthanized (although not so quickly) as in Knox County. Several no-kill organizations have been formed to assist these wonderful animals who are so casually discarded by their owners.
PetSmart Stores have been wonderful in their assistance to animals and humane organizations by allowing Pet Adoption Days to be held in front of their stores on a regular basis. The organizations bring the dogs and cats to the store where they are more accessible to the public than the out-of-the-way locations of most shelters. Prospective owners are required to provide proof of identification and complete adoption applications just like they would at the Humane Society. In fact, as of late, the Humane Society of Central Florida has been having their own Pet Adoption Days in front of PetSmart!
There are alternatives to euthanasia! And with some thought, effort and cooperation, homes can be found for these animals. The animals are the important issue here—not our egos. By educating the public to spay and neuter their pets, and the community working together to find homes for those animals unfortunate to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, the number of pets can be greatly reduced.
Thank you for your efforts on behalf of the animals.
Janet Collester
Orlando, Florida
As the former director of development for the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley, I would like to comment on your recent cover story, "Animal Behavior." Although I could go through your entire article line by line and point out faults of reasoning, I feel that my expertise in fundraising is best used regarding the funding issue: Why should an organization like the Humane Association even WANT to take away county funding from an organization that doesn't close its doors to any animal—from fish to horses.
As other so-called no-kill shelters, the Humane Association will be capable of taking in a few dozen animals before they are saturated and no longer able to take in any more (because of their policy of keeping animals for years until adopted). If the HSTV loses public funding or private donations, they will be forced to cut back on staff and hours. With this limited service and alternative shelters filled up, what then will happen to the unwanted? The shoulder of I-40 or the woods? Further, what about the animals unwanted by the alternative shelters like the Humane Association? They don't sound like they want to deal with hit-by-car cats, dogs inflicted with scabies, or starving ponies and cows.
These are the animals that come to the HSTV every day. The HSTV does not have or want the luxury of picking and choosing which animals to care for.
Finally, I found it interesting that only one former HSTV staffer was quoted—a staffer who was fired. Not quite the most unbiased voice that you could have picked. Well, I doubt that you are interested, but here is one of many former staff members who is quite willing to talk (and be identified) in support of HSTV and the fine work that Vicky Crosetti has done with very little support from recently-turned-tabloid operations like the Metro Pulse.
Dug Y. Hanbicki
Chicago
I found your article on Vicky Crosetti and the HSTV a most refreshingly written change from most of the press the HSTV gets in the Knoxville area. Too frequently the blurbs on the local news featuring quotes from Crosetti are too short and, I suspect, not kindly edited.
My husband and I were briefly volunteers at HSTV for a few months in 1995, mainly because we both have a passionate concern for animals and wanted to do something proactive to help them. After working in the shelter a few times as a dog walker and cat petter, then helping on the volunteer committee formed to follow up on Adopt-A-Pet adoptions (trying to make sure new owners had taken the new pet to the vet and complying with the other agreements adoptive owners sign), I came to the conclusion that Knox County's pet overpopulation problem was far worse than I had dreamed.
I may not agree with everything that Crosetti has said or is reported to have said, and I do agree that she is quite forceful and abrasive in her personality. However, I do feel very strongly that people who are fond of criticizing the shelter and its staff should have to work a few hours and hear some of the lame excuses that people have for giving up animals, letting them breed then bringing the litters in, or the complaints of people when they come in looking for a particular type of animal and can't find it, as if the shelter were some sort of pedigreed pet shop.
Mind you, I heard all these things in only two or three volunteer sessions at the shelter—and I wasn't even the one dealing directly with the people. Unfortunately, my time there was cut short by pregnancy and with motherhood being the way it is, I have allowed my physical and financial support of the shelter to lapse.
I would like to give a personal note of praise for the shelter in a recent sad event in our own pet family. My dog, Barney, 12 years old, had been progressively becoming more aggressive over the past few years. As a puppy he had regularly been tormented by the neighborhood children, who stuck sticks at him and yelled at him through the fence, and he developed a disordered personality from which he never recovered. For many years we managed to cope with stout fencing, limiting company, and the occasional Valium, but a few months before we moved into a more densely populated area, Barney had gotten loose and bitten a neighbor for no apparent reason other than the neighbor was on "the wrong side of the fence" and therefore an "enemy."
We strengthened the fence line and hoped for the best, but after the move, Barney began attacking our other dog without provocation and even growled at my husband. He began showing some disturbing signs of being overprotective of my three-year-old son around the other dog and we feared for our son's safety should the dogs get into a fight around him. Barney also had a disturbing tendency to try to get out of the fence and could be quite clever at devising ways to get out.
After my husband asked a cousin, a vet, as a favor, to come over and euthanize Barney for everyone's safety and she apparently could not be bothered, he felt it necessary to take Barney to the shelter for surrender. The staff did question him intensely about his reasons for giving Barney up ("he seems like a very sweet dog, are you certain he's that bad?"), which of course we understood since we had worked down there and heard lame excuses for ourselves; however, they were extremely empathetic when my husband, tearing up, agreed that Barney was indeed a good dog but we felt we had no choice.
It was apparently then obvious to the staff that this was a very difficult situation for us all. Perhaps people in general don't understand the shelter staff's purpose in intensely questioning people and get angry; what they don't understand is that some people give animals up for frivolous reasons. The shelter workers obviously didn't feel after he explained to them the situation that fearing for our son and other dog and unborn baby was frivolous.
I cried when I saw the pictures of the dog being put to sleep; it reminds me rather forcefully that I had to put my dog through the same experience and that he now lies in the Knox County landfill. I wish I had had the opportunity to be with him, at home, when he left the world. But if we had it to do over again, I would probably do it again, as the safety of my family and neighbors is very important to me. Although I loved my dog very much, his aggressiveness threatened not only his own safety, but that of everyone around him. He was obviously not a happy dog anymore and nothing we tried helped. I feel that Barney met his end in a compassionate and humane way and I am personally glad that there is a place in Knoxville where people can bring their animals in these sad situations. I wonder what we would be supposed to do without HSTV—take an aggressive dog out and abandon it in the country to bite people we don't know, as opposed to biting people we love? Or, better yet, back to the days of Old Yeller and a rifle. Boy, wouldn't that be an improvement.
The writer's note that HSTV does not refuse animals is very important and should be remembered by anyone wishing to support no-kill shelters. No-kill shelters are forced to do one of two things: refuse animals or get overcrowded. Oh, I'm sorry. The third is send people to a "kill" shelter if they're too full. Guess we need those kind of shelters, after all.
Tracy Stansberry
Knoxville
I don't have a dog in the fight, but after reading David Madison's story about the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley, I had to write. I don't know Vicky Crosetti or any of the others involved in this controversy. I do know that disgruntled former employees with their own agendas are not necessarily good sources for truthful information. And so what if Crosetti isn't "Southern?" So what if she is blunt and aggressive? If she was a man, would the same criticisms about management style be levied?
It appears that Brenda Berke's Animal Foundation and HSTV will be able to work together to save unadoptable pets, so what is the real issue here? Is it Crosetti's personality? HSTV's adoption and euthanasia policies? Or is it just a good old-fashioned vendetta?
And as for those who complain about HSTV's strict adoption policies, you should be impressed, not angry. Owning a dog or cat is a huge commitment—both with time and money. HSTV is certainly justified in its rigorous screening process. If applicants don't want to answer questions or commit to neutering, vaccinating and fencing their pet, then perhaps they should buy a goldfish.
Patsy F. Stair
Knoxville
I read with interest the recent article concerning Vicky Crosetti and the HSTV. While not a Knoxville citizen, I have had several occasions to work with Vicky and her shelter and wanted to comment on my experiences.
I run a purebred rescue group for Chinese Shar-Pei in Nashville, Tenn. Being one of the few organized Shar-Pei Rescues in the South, I routinely work with shelters in about 10 states. Vicky and her staff have consistently contacted me whenever they receive in a dog that is one of my breed. When I have accepted the dog into my program, I can be confident that the dog will arrive spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and healthy. This is certainly not the case with most of the Shelters that I have worked with.
While I cannot comment on the charges within your column, I can say that it is a pleasure to receive calls from Vicky or her staff. I trust their judgment completely and am always impressed with the caring that they show for the animals. Working in a shelter is a thankless job and there are always those that like to criticize. I challenge those people to come up with solutions rather than complaints.
Vicky may be outspoken and controversial but she does an excellent job. She has my respect and admiration for it.
Wendy Cook, President
CSP Rescue of Nashville
www.SharPeiRescue.com
I appreciated your balanced story on the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley, but I have to come down firmly on the side of the Humane Society, which I wholeheartedly support. The Humane Society has the miserable and thankless job of dealing with the result of a general problem—the fact that many Knox Countians think they are still living on a farm while in fact we're living in a rapidly sprawling metropolitan area.
I base this observation on personal experience. I grew up on a good-sized farm in western North Carolina, half a mile from our nearest neighbor. My dogs and cats could roam along a creek, up the side of a mountain, and across a large pasture. I never gave a thought to confining them within a fenced yard or walking them on a leash.
But I don't live there anymore.
I now have three dogs—two of them adopted from the local Humane Society—and I keep them in my house, within a fenced yard, or, if I take them out, on a leash. I was astonished to discover that many of my neighbors—even in a neighborhood where I imagine that most folks have some post-secondary education—seem to think they are still living on a farm. Quite a few let their dogs roam freely, and I have seen the results: children mourning lost pets, dogs crippled from encounters with cars, cats killed by dogs running loose. And I have seen the main animal shelter, where the results of free-roaming unneutered pets add up to thousands of unwanted animals.
But we shouldn't get angry at the dedicated, hard-working people who are willing to deal with the results of our irresponsibility. That would be like blaming doctors and nurses because hospitals are full of sick people.
What we need is personal responsibility. When you live in a city, you have your pets spayed or neutered; you keep your dogs fenced, and if you take them off your property, you use a leash and clean up after them. These are basic, civic rules. If we would all follow them, there would be no need for that big, ugly warehouse of unwanted pets and their offspring.
Stan Ivester
Knoxville
The truth will always appear in the light of day, right? Thanks for your article regarding the animal welfare situation in Knox County. Every opportunity should be taken to show the public the grim reality of the consequences of irresponsible pet ownership. Locally, Knoxvillians breed and abandon more than 16,000 dogs and cats every year. While the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley does a more efficient job of adopting and reuniting animals than most equivalent size cities in the South (it seems like it was around 43 percent the last time I did the tally,) there is always room for improvement. A larger, more convenient facility is needed for intake and adoption. The management needs more resources for staff training and therapy. The pet owners of Knoxville should act more responsibly in the area of spay/neuter and loose animals.
Unfortunately, there must have been some obstacles in the path of the light shown by David Madison, your reporter. While the truth was often represented, some shadows appeared that looked more like monsters than the silhouette of bunnies. Let's take a peek behind them, heh?
"Of the half-dozen former HSTV staffers interviewed by Metro Pulse, only one, Damon McKenna, wanted to be quoted." Damon was a young man from an extremely troubled background with virtually no education. Yet, he was given an opportunity to prove himself with more and more responsibility. He had good days and bad days; quit with no notice on one prior occasion, yet came back and was given a job. He, like Vicky, is more comfortable with the sincerity of animals than people. Admittedly, both grow frustrated with people. He was counseled by management on a number of occasions for his explosive temper. I know, I was his manager.
The final straw came one day and he was fired. To say "I wrote a letter...voicing job-related complaints...and was fired," is just a bit of oversimplification. It is analogous to saying the same thing of someone who spray paints vulgarities on the back wall of the boss's office and says "I wrote a letter...complaining." The "letter" in question was more of an unsigned manifesto, with many copies left lying around the shelter. It is not appropriate to go into the content here, but let us just say it was of such a violent, irrational, ranting tone that the police were called to make a report. When he admitted to writing and distributing this "newsletter" and was subsequently fired, he shot back with "I'm gonna call Metro Pulse!" Well, I guess he did.
There are other issues spoken of in shadowy, conspiratorial innuendo. The mysterious call to the vet. The "rumors" that are outlined. What happened to solid evidence in journalism? I was never contacted, though my name was given to the investigative reporter as an ex-employee. I have nothing to lose; the very, very minor circle where Vicky has any influence does not touch me. I was the HSTV shelter manager in their employ for three years. I now work as a broadcast engineer at a local TV station.
Why did I leave? There are always a variety of reasons to seek other employment, but basically I couldn't handle the emotional toll shelter/humane work takes from you. One does this work to make a difference because you love animals. Then you find yourself in the position of taking care of society's irresponsible behavior. How many of you that love animals can grab your morning cup of coffee and walk through a building of yipping puppies and pick who lives and who dies simply because there isn't enough room.
The work is first heartbreaking, compelling you to work harder and harder to find them homes. Then you begin to become angry and cold. Not toward the animals, the heartbreak there never stops. You become resentful toward the indifferent public who forces you to make those decisions. Can you see why burnout is so common and why a "hands-on" humane society staff is sometimes "touchy" or "irritable."
Don't get me wrong; I appreciate your doing the article. Again, every exposure of the sheer numbers of animals turned in is a good thing. I would just ask that, in the future, you exhaust a few more resources and contact as many people as possible. You claim to only be able to find one ex-employee willing to speak on record, a 22-year-old "north of the Arctic Circle" with a really spotty work history. Yet, you didn't contact me, an ex-member of management who lives less than 45 minutes from the Metro Pulse downtown office? You were given my numbers.
Let's just try to remember one thing. Vicky Crosetti is NOT the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley. It has many faces. She is just another employee of the non-profit organization; just another member of management. She has a board to whom she must answer. The HSTV is a vibrant organization of drastically different personalities with varied skills.
From the technical standpoint, Vicky Crosetti has brought this shelter from being a inhumane "pound" in the '80s, to a facility in the '90s mirroring the same practices of some of the most progressive humane societies on the west coast. If Vicky is guilty of anything, it is that she cares more about helping animals than taking care of herself. If she is sometimes grouchy or gruff, it is because the Knoxville animal problem has made her that way.
Please don't turn your backs on the enormity of good work done by the full scope of people, volunteer and paid, at the HSTV.
Stacey Cutshaw
Alcoa
Typically Metro Pulse articles are insightful and fair. Unfortunately your article about HSTV was not. Metro Pulse has sunk to the same level as the yellow journalism in the Knoxville Journal with the article's repetition of negative, untrue rumors and innuendoes and the gossip of one disgruntled employee. These should have been clarified with the truth. The Knoxville Journal has had a hate campaign against HSTV and Vicky Crosetti for years. Metro Pulse played into this.
Animals seem to raise peoples emotions to astronomical heights, but the massive problem of pet overpopulation has to be handled with common sense and sanity not emotion. A successful shelter doesn't just happen because you love animals. It takes knowledge, experience and education. No kill shelters sound like a good idea but the reality is even the finest facility has only enough resources for a set number of animals. The ones turned away end up by the side of the road, drowned, shot, or if they are lucky are taken to a shelter such as HSTV where no animal is ever rejected. If adoption policies are stiff it is because animals deserve not only life but also quality of life.
It requires drive and progressive ideas to bring about the bring about the tremendous positive changes which have occurred with Vicky Crosetti's leadership not only in Knox County but all of East Tennessee. I am president of Humane Blount, the Blount County Humane Society. HSTV and Vicky Crosetti have been a vital resource for our organization as well as for virtually every humane society and breed rescue in East Tennessee. Just as no animal is turned away, no organization is refused information and assistance when needed. On the occasions over the years I have worked with Ms. Crosetti she has been not only extremely knowledgeable but she has bent over backward to be helpful to our organization. Knox County is fortunate to have her here.
It is a shame a few angry people seem to make the most noise, and the thousands with positive experiences were not contacted for their input. Disappointing too was the general feeling the shelter director should have Southern charm and "be one of us." Many of us in East Tennessee are not Southern belles; it is not a character flaw. HSTV and Ms. Crosetti deserve an apology, as do your readers for presenting an article that takes Metro Pulse down to the same level as the National Enquirer.
Alicia Hunter
President, Humane Blount
I hope I was not the only reader moved to tears of anger upon reading the article "Animal Behavior" and tears of sadness upon seeing the face of the euthanized "mid-sized mutt" within. The malicious and childish infighting David Mason details between the warring factions of animal "caretakers" is inexcusable.
I was introduced to this insanity a few years ago when I struggled to find homes for an abandoned mother dog and her litter of seven. After a series of phone calls, I found an organization that offered me free spaying for the mother and free puppy chow for the pups. I have long since forgotten the names of the people involved (although I am forever grateful for their kindness), but I do remember there was palpable animosity toward the HSTV.
But I also found that there is palpable love for the unwanted animals in this community, even if the HSTV would argue otherwise. The abandoned mother and litter were adopted the week I placed an ad in The Thrifty Nickel, and I had several phone calls the following week. (The dogs were not purebreds; in fact, they were a motley crew.) I encountered the same charity last year when I again found homes for abandoned puppies, this time two literally left on my doorstep. So why do these loving people not seek out the Shelter for dogs and cats who are living on borrowed time?
Perhaps, like me, they have trouble finding the place. When I visited the shelter 20 years ago, I believed I would never reach the end of the narrow back road, and when I did reach it, the place already had the "charm of a Mexican jail." I found a dog, wept over those I could not save, and went home to nightmares of dogs and cats awaiting their own holocaust. My dog died of distemper soon afterwards—the vet was never sure why—so I braved the shelter one more time. This time I couldn't choose. I wanted the mangy Chihuahua and the beat up tomcat. I wanted all the untouchables. Home to more nightmares.
I can not be the only person moved to tears by such an experience and by this article that shows just how inhumane and inhuman people can be. But these same tears can galvanize people into action. No-kill shelters are feasible, but people who care must be reached. This means the shelter, not just the smaller adoption sites, should be highly visible. Not only must we not close our eyes to the fate of unwanted animals, we must first know what their fate probably is. These mongrels can steal your hearts and give you theirs the moment you set eyes on them, but you must first see them.
Moreover, puppies and kittens are not the only adoptable animals; older, even ailing, animals have their own charms. Breed-rescue participants are happy to give an old dog a happy final home, and grown dogs and cats spare their new owners the trials of the puppy and kitten months. Purebreds have their place in dog shows, and America is fascinated with the media breed of choice, but few Jack Russell Terriers will ever turn out to be Wishbone any more than your border collie will co-star in Babe. Pet choice should not be based on accessories or trends. Mongrels never go out of style.
Or at least that's what my latest mutt, Buddy, tells me. I found him set out in a box in January 1995. He was about two months old and starving, with the worst case of mange the vet had ever seen, hip dysplasia, dehydration, and a severe case of intestinal worms that left him bloated, blind, and barely able to stand. Two weeks later when he managed to stagger out of his doghouse with his newly opened big brown eyes, he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. If only the right person had had the chance to love the "mid-sized mutt" in the story.
Sandra E. Capps
Knoxville
Bravos and boos on your recent article entitled "Dog Fight: Does the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley Deserve All Its Criticism?"
Bravo for your efforts to help people understand the grueling and gruesome job that it is; for recognizing that employee burnout is inevitable and, consequently, the turnover rate is high. Bravo for confirming that the adoption rate at the shelter is on par with the national average and for recognizing proposed "no-kill" shelters for what they really are—a repository for only the most adoptable animals.
Your summary statement in the table of contents: "Does the HSTV deserve its bad reputation, or is it simply stuck with a difficult job that not too many people want to understand?" introduced a negative attitude by stating that the HSTV has a bad reputation. The second half of the sentence probably best describes the true and honest situation.
Your opening salvo, however, set the biased tone of your report. Phrases such as "body toss...thump in the truck" seem to imply that the bodies are treated like garbage. If you had cared to explain that those bodies are frozen by the time the staff must load them onto the trucks, perhaps your readers would have understood why a line of employees is necessary to help lift the heavy bodies. Perhaps you could also have mentioned the employee who was helping in the line one day, and a bag slipped to reveal a dog he had become attached to. The dog's owner had surrendered him for "behavior" problems, but this employee had bonded with the dog. He cried when he recognized the dog. Compassion, not callousness, has been the trait I have noticed on my visits there.
Boos for giving credence to Ms. Crosetti's vocal detractors, especially Ms. Henry. It is interesting that she had not bothered to take her adopted animals for their vaccinations, even though her boyfriend works at a vet clinic! Perhaps her embarrassment prompted her to criticize the HSTV by placing calls from her home in Morgan County to the Knoxville mayor's office to protest the "rude" behavior of the HSTV.
Ms. Henry's purported animal activism seems to be quite selective. When another person from Morgan County called the mayor's office to seek assistance with their stray animal problem, the mayor's representative referred her to Ms. Henry. She refused to help. It appears her "animal activism" is merely a personal vendetta against Ms. Crosetti.
Her vendetta, as well as the disgruntled ex-employee you chose to highlight in your article, seems to have colored your perception of Ms. Crosetti. Can any business, even Metro Pulse, say that they have had no disgruntled ex-employees? On my visits there, I have observed a camaraderie there that is commendable, given the stressful conditions under which they work. In the eight years Ms. Crosetti has been the director, she has had 500 employees. To hunt down the problem ex-employees, instead of the dedicated ones who work there today, is a disservice to the accomplishments Ms. Crosetti has achieved: an aggressive spay and neuter program, a foster program, and a volunteer program .
How many of you know that Vicky is available to people 24 hours a day to offer grief counseling to them on the loss of their beloved pets? One Thanksgiving Day, Vicky received a call from a woman whose relatives did not understand why she was upset over the death of her dog. Vicky talked to her for over two hours, and missed her own dinner with friends. She was a great help to me when I had to make a decision about the failing health of my aging border collie. I don't know many grief counselors who practice "Nazi oppression" tactics or are "rude and dictatorial."
The article leads me to believe that all of the parties mentioned have a common goal; the welfare of animals and the enlightenment of the public to the problems HSTV faces every day. Why not expend our energies in the direction that would help us to reach the goal of a new shelter. HSTV has purchased land and procured seed money to begin the design process for a new facility. My firm has been privileged to worked with the HSTV staff and board, and we have donated many more hours of our services beyond the seed money, because of the HSTV's tireless dedication to a thankless job. Our research has sent us nationwide in search of the latest ideas and technology to house and care for abandoned animals. I visited San Francisco, whose Maddie's Adoption Center has received national attention. Their annual budget is $12 million, our HSTV's annual budget is $1 million, and we save the same number of animals! That is an astounding statistic, and one of the many positive ones you overlooked.
We would all benefit from working toward a common goal of a new facility, because that is what would make the most difference for our animals. I believe societies are judged by how they take care of the ones who have no voice; our children, our elderly, and our animals. Knoxville, stop bickering, join our cause, and support the only shelter which never refuses an animal. Become a foster parent to a litter of kittens or puppies. Adopt a cat for your office; our three cats (who are HSTV alumni) offer much delight to my staff and to passersby. Most of all get involved; together, we can make a new facility happen.
Jennifer Martella, A.L.A.
and Martella Associates employees
As a staff member and supporter of the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley, I appreciated the article of July 8, l999's Metro Pulse addressing the issue of animal welfare. Any opportunity to raise awareness about the plight of homeless animals in our community could save a innocent life. We are always seeking ways to educate the public about the tragic reality of pet overpopulation, the importance of owner responsibility and the importance of spaying and neutering pets. Thousands of homeless animals are brought into the shelter every year and someone needs to tell their story.
I was dismayed at the choice of sources which set the tone for much of the article. The publisher of The Journal, a self-appointed activist, and a disgruntled former employee—terminated for just cause, seem to have found a soap box willing to present their unsubstantiated and unverifiable accusations.
I was disappointed that a publication which does some great investigative stories would base a story on unnamed sources and hearsay. I have a great deal of personal and professional respect for Joe Sullivan and the editorial staff at Metro Pulse, therefore I also find it difficult to understand why unattributable rumors were legitimized in print.
Historically, confusing an issue has been a tactic used to divert attention from the root cause of a social problem. This article encourages the community to focus on individual personalities and perceived turf wars rather than the real issue: our need to foster a collective community-wide sense of responsibility for the homeless, stray and outcast animals that make their way to the door of the shelter. HSTV works cooperatively with many legitimate humane organizations and animal rescue groups in East Tennessee, across the state and the county to achieve our goals. We recognize that the only way the needless killing of innocent animals will stop is through educating the public, policy makers, and elected officials to take action in support of progressive city, county, and state animal welfare laws, to spay and neuter pets and to foster responsible pet ownership.
At HSTV we have made a great deal of progress in the last 10 years. We have opened two new adoption facilities. We have tripled adoptions rates. We have implemented spay and neuter programs that have reduced the population of homeless animals in Knox County. And we have implemented programs to prevent the spread of disease so that when a family adopts a pet, we know that we have done all we can to insure it's health and well being. We still have a lot of work to do. Knoxville is in desperate need of a new comprehensive animal welfare facility and shelter. With public and private support, HSTV can make this a reality.
All this controversy and finger-pointing does not change the fact that working on behalf of homeless animals—particularly in the shelter—is heart breaking. Each innocent animal that comes in deserves a home. Each has it's own unique personality and could be someone's wonderful companion if given the chance. I hope that the editors and staff of Metro Pulse will join HSTV in encouraging the community to adopt animals from the shelter, Adopt a Pet or Luv A Pet. Please save a innocent life. And next time, you do a story on the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley, I hope you will consider your sources—for the sake of the animals.
Emily Jones
Director of Development
Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley
P.S.: It is interesting to note that Phil Hamby's new organization is called Knox County Humane Association—not to be confused with the former Knox County Humane Society—chartered in 1885 and currently known as the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley.
I have a story to tell, but first I want to thank you for your honest and explicit article about the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley. I wouldn't have guessed I would be visiting there a few weeks after reading it.
My story begins on Monday afternoon. My daughter and I were shopping and cleaning in preparation for out-of-town guests to arrive the next day. At around the same time, a neighbor of ours called Knox County Animal Control to pick up our cat Angel from her basement.
On Tuesday, our guest arrived at 1 p.m. We had a fun day catching up, went to the pool and had dinner. Angel is now on her second day at the shelter.
By Wednesday, as I worked in my home office I began to wonder where Angel was and I watched the window for her. But, I'm off at noon to meet up with my friend and gone all day. This is Angel's third day. That night I asked my husband about getting out flyers. He thinks she will return, she has been gone this long before.
Thursday, I asked a neighbor if she has seen Angel and she had not. I made the flyers to distribute in the afternoon but this is Angel's fourth day. It is too late. She had been euthanized to make room for new animals and their three day window of opportunity.
Friday, I started to receive calls. One neighbor tells me about seeing animal control earlier in the week. I can't believe it. I arrived at the shelter as soon as they opened. She was not there. They asked about identification and I admitted she was not wearing a collar. I drove to both Adopt-A-Pet centers. She was not there either. I realize I have to confront the neighbor that called animal control to know for sure. A solid white cat in a neighborhood of blacks and tabbies won't be hard to miss.
"Yes, she was solid white. I didn't know she was your cat!" (Yeah, right. This solid white cat has only lived next-door to you for six years! It was hard to buy that.) She tells me she called on Wednesday so I still think there is some mistake. Back to the shelter with a picture this time, but I won't need it. They let me look through their records which show a Monday pick-up. The I.D. number is retrieved and confirms she has been euthanized. I think back to my concerns Wednesday and Thursday. It wouldn't have been too late then.
Today I'm taking my cat Charlotte and my dog Ranger to receive a computer chip under the skin. This chip could have identified Angel and saved her. I am also sending a check to the Humane Society, a check to be put towards a building fund. With more kennels, they may be able to extend the stay for animals which could save lives. We all need to support the Humane Society for the terrible job they have to do.
My hope is others will get the chip. Outdoor cats are particularly vulnerable because they often won't wear collars and we tend not to worry when they are missing "only a few days."
Bett McLean
Knoxville
I am writing this letter concerning the article you wrote called "Animal Behavior." I had mixed emotions after reading it. I feel that it was well written and basically stuck to the facts and did a good job of showing how extremely important it is to have your pets spayed and neutered and to adopt from the shelter.
However, it was so negative and seemed to paint a picture of a bunch of half-crazed people fighting like cats and dogs.
I am a member of the Knox County Humane Association and I know that our intentions are 100 percent genuine and that every person that is involved with our organization has been an animal lover all their life. We have all united together to try to improve the welfare of homeless animals in Knoxville and try to eliminate the problem of too many pets and not enough loving homes. The problem has reached epidemic proportions and the general public has got to do their part by having their pet spayed or neutered.
There are hundreds of no-kill shelters popping up all over America and they are all extremely successful and they are proof that it can be done. Hopefully we can change a lot of the old ways of thinking when it comes to animals and never have to senselessly put healthy animals to sleep before it's time again.
Larissa Mikels
Knoxville
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